Calling all USS Enterprise CVN-65 fans

[Sholto]

Hi

I recently lost the building plans to my 1:350 Mini hobby kit CVN-65 Enterprise. Can anyone help me with that. I now cant build it and its killing me.

[gtbred]

O.K My fellow BigE modelers. I heard that 1/350 hull is not correct. When place it side by side to the J.F.K. it seems fine. But I look at stern and Enterprise fantail is huge compare to J.F.K. Something not right about that. Tell me I'm wrong about this.

[Edward Wilson]

The lower hull at the stern should match the JFK, with the much deeper V shape. The only thing wrong with the JFK is the keel skeg should not be squared off at the back end, but come to an edge. The Tamiya Enterprise is MUCH worse in this regard.

When I first reported on the Enterprise in 1986, I got sent down into the drydock to work on the Hull Decon crew. I actually took the Tamiya hull down into the dock. I was so disappointed by how off the stern was. Above the main (Hangar) deck I don't know for sure if the Enterprise was a bit wider or not. The rest of the Tamiya hull is OK excepting the bilge keels being overdone. The bulb at the bow on Enterprise does protrude forward of the waterline cutwater, But Tamiya overdid it. (Enterprise was unique with the protruding bow until Reagan). Shafts 2 and 3, the inboard ones, are missing external shaft bearings. I've stood on them sampling the paint, they are there.

All the Supercarriers, from Forrestal on, used the same basic hull design. All 8 conventional ships were/are 990 feet between perpendiculars. When the Enterprise was built, it was felt that the JP-5 and Navy distillate bunkerage should be increased to reflect the Ships increased endurance, so the Forrestal hull design was lengthened 50 feet to 1040 between PP, and the waterline beam was increased 5 feet. With Nimitz they added another foot to the beam for even more JP-5 storage.
All this information can be found in Friedman's US Carrier volume

[gtbred]

Thank You that really explains the reason. I am not going to toss it away because of it. I just got to make up my mind to waterline or full hull.

[Jon]

The lower hull at the stern should match the JFK, with the much deeper V shape. The only thing wrong with the JFK is the keel skeg should not be squared off at the back end, but come to an edge. The Tamiya Enterprise is MUCH worse in this regard.

When I first reported on the Enterprise in 1986, I got sent down into the drydock to work on the Hull Decon crew. I actually took the Tamiya hull down into the dock. I was so disappointed by how off the stern was. Above the main (Hangar) deck I don't know for sure if the Enterprise was a bit wider or not. The rest of the Tamiya hull is OK excepting the bilge keels being overdone. The bulb at the bow on Enterprise does protrude forward of the waterline cutwater, But Tamiya overdid it. (Enterprise was unique with the protruding bow until Reagan). Shafts 2 and 3, the inboard ones, are missing external shaft bearings. I've stood on them sampling the paint, they are there.

All the Supercarriers, from Forrestal on, used the same basic hull design. All 8 conventional ships were/are 990 feet between perpendiculars. When the Enterprise was built, it was felt that the JP-5 and Navy distillate bunkerage should be increased to reflect the Ships increased endurance, so the Forrestal hull design was lengthened 50 feet to 1040 between PP, and the waterline beam was increased 5 feet. With Nimitz they added another foot to the beam for even more JP-5 storage.
All this information can be found in Friedman's US Carrier volume

Terrific information. Is there anything that can be done to correct the Enterprise Hull?

What is the difference of a strut bearing and an external shaft bearing? Perhaps one and the same?

[Mogami]

What is the difference of a strut bearing and an external shaft bearing? Perhaps one and the same?

Strut bearings are the bulges at the bottom of a strut, wear the shaft passes through. Shaft bearings are where the shaft exits the hull.

[Edward Wilson]

We used to call all the Bearings, Internal and external, on the Shafts "Shaft Bearings" , and on a side note, #1 shaft on the Enterprise is still the longest propeller shaft in the world at 720 feet!

I'm stalled on my Tamiya Enterprise because of the aft hull. I am planning on cutting off the last 6 or 8 inches of the hull below the waterline, gluing in bulkheads based on an old set of plans I got from Floating Drydock years ago. The hull lines are actually pretty close on these. Then skin it with styrene, putty, sand, repeat, then repeat some more.

[Mark McKinnis]

I pre-ordered the 1/700 Dragon Enterprise. Since I got charged, I assume that it is really showing up this time. Any news on when?

[gtbred]

We used to call all the Bearings, Internal and external, on the Shafts "Shaft Bearings" , and on a side note, #1 shaft on the Enterprise is still the longest propeller shaft in the world at 720 feet!

I'm stalled on my Tamiya Enterprise because of the aft hull. I am planning on cutting off the last 6 or 8 inches of the hull below the waterline, gluing in bulkheads based on an old set of plans I got from Floating Drydock years ago. The hull lines are actually pretty close on these. Then skin it with styrene, putty, sand, repeat, then repeat some more.

Could you show me how that is done to hull.

[Timmy C]

I pre-ordered the 1/700 Dragon Enterprise. Since I got charged, I assume that it is really showing up this time. Any news on when?

Mind saying from whom you placed the pre-order?

[Mark McKinnis]

Hi Timmy,

I placed the order with Freetime Hobbies. They don't normally charge you on the Pre-Order without a delivery date in mind. It can be a ways out. It seems like the Dragon kit has been a promise for a couple of years now.

[Not_so_COB]

Does anyone have a definitive list of items that need to be changed in order to backdate the Tamiya E to a pre 80 refit design? I'm working on a 3d printed Island and should have it ready to go in a couple of weeks. (below is a crude mockup of the beehive I did to check the dimensions/shape. The worst part of the island turns out to be the damn windows! hah! Anyway, changes I know need to be made to get to a cuban missile crisis E are:

1. Island to beehive configuration.
2. Antenna arrangement (Depending on specific era)
3. Removal of port-fore CWIS sponson
4. Remove/alter port-aft CIWS sponson
5. Remove Starboard-fore weapons sponson.
6. Cat shuttle on port side
7. Exterior hangar doors are sliding solid affairs not corrugated as in kit
8?

I'm sure there are many other items....

Any help would be greatly appreciated (i'll update this post to keep the list complete.

[William4443]

Are there any oiler markings on the port side of the ship or is all refueling/unrep done on the starboard side?

[DWD]

I have looked through all the photos that I have acquired of Enterprise over the last 3 years or so and I haven't found any with "oiler" markings on the port side so far. Not saying that there have never been any, I'm just not seeing any in the photos that I have on hand, which is quite a few. I have also done some research on this and have found that US aircraft carrier refueling/unrep is done solely on the starboard side of the ship. Maybe one of our Navy servicemen could provide more information, but just thought I would provide what I had come across so far in my research.

[Not_so_COB]

Getting Closer to being able to 3D print this.... Need to finish the flag bridge and then detail the Beehive...

[ModelMonkey]

Getting Closer to being able to 3D print this.... Need to finish the flag bridge and then detail the Beehive...

Looks great! Many have been asking for this for a long time.

[simon b]

Would you be offering this in a stripped down form like the CAD picture shows ? I would love something like this but I'd add the extra details myself.
I've had some fantastic 3D printed items but there are limitations. I'd like to clean up the basic structures before detailing.

[Not_so_COB]

Thats how I plan to offer it.

[William4443]

I have looked through all the photos that I have acquired of Enterprise over the last 3 years or so and I haven't found any with "oiler" markings on the port side so far. Not saying that there have never been any, I'm just not seeing any in the photos that I have on hand, which is quite a few. I have also done some research on this and have found that US aircraft carrier refueling/unrep is done solely on the starboard side of the ship. Maybe one of our Navy servicemen could provide more information, but just thought I would provide what I had come across so far in my research.

Thank you!

[noel_carpio]

Hi guys! Can anybody tell me the answer to the following?

1. When did the Big E started getting into the LowViz config (such as the bow number)?
2. When did they phase in the F18 to replace the A7's?

Thanks for the info.

Noel